


Salamanders

by MaybeWren



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaybeWren/pseuds/MaybeWren
Summary: A oneshot book. Definitely not created because I'm impulsive and just got the rural setting thesaurus.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	1. Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Attic - Fundy looks through a box of photos in the attic of his childhood home and stumbles upon the photo album from Wilbur and Sally's wedding.

Bathroom - Wilbur is sick and almost accidentally drowns.

Nursery - Wilbur's up in the middle of the night not long after Sally left.

Flower Garden - Eret stands outside of Niki's garden, crown missing and seemingly shy.

Graveyard - There is a cemetery filled with twenty six graves hidden in the forest.


	2. Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundy looks through a box of photos in the attic of his childhood home and stumbles upon the photo album from Wilbur and Sally's wedding.

Fundy pulls the string attached to the bulb, lighting the room up with a _click_ . The floorboards are extremely dusty and old faded boxes scatter the floor. Some of them keep mildew stains from the leaky roof that was never repaired. Neither he nor Wilbur were the best handymen, and they didn’t have anyone they trusted to call upon. Fundy makes his way through the maze of rickety furniture. Tiny claws scramble across the floor, one of the few sounds other than the creaking floorboards. The house groans as another gust of wind slams into it causing Fundy to pull his coat closer. The attic is filled with forgotten memories. There’s a box labelled _“Baby Toys”_ right next to another labeled _“Children’s Clothes”_. He swallows and averts his eyes. He hasn’t been a child for a long time. Boxes of Christmas decorations are stacked against the wall, tangles of discarded Christmas lights cast aside in the darkness. 

He almost passes the box labelled _“Photos.”_. Fundy falls to his knees and carefully pulls open the flaps. A cloud of dust rises, laughing Fundy into a coughing fit. Eventually he manages to catch his breath and pull out the photos. The first is from the day before Fundy set out on his own, someone having caught his final hug with Wilbur. What he wouldn’t give to have just one more, to cry into his father’s shirt again. Instead, Fundy pulls out the next picture. He stands onstage, proudly grasping his high school graduation certificate. The robes have been hemmed to fit, leftover from when Wilbur had graduated. They hadn’t been able to afford new ones, but Fundy had been unable to care. There’s very few photos from before he transitioned. In fact, Fundy only finds one of himself playing in the mud. Wilbur laughs next to him and a strand of red hair partially covers the photo. Fundy hadn’t seen him smile like that since she left. There’s one of himself held by her, wrapped in pink cloth while a tired smile is nestled in her face. He’s quick to put it down. Fundy sighs as rain starts to tap against the roof. He pulls out an entire album and his whiskers twitch in curiosity. Fundy opens it and immediately freezes.

_You’re Cordially Invited To The Wedding Of_

_Wilbur Soot_

_And_

_Sally Saumon_

_At Creve Beach_

_On August 22 at 4:00 pm_

He cautiously flips to the next page and stares at the stills. His mother in her dress, Wilbur in his suit. Phil reassuring Wilbur before the wedding. A young Tubbo scattering petals across the beach. Sally walking up the aisle. Their first kiss. Their first dance. Tommy running across the beach as Phil chases him. Schlatt and Wilbur laughing together. Techno talking with Sally. Unfamiliar faces fill several of the photos. Fundy silently shuts the book and sets it aside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listened to [This Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3bNdID2ko3hukpLlsWX064)
> 
> Content warning for dark themes and yelling.


	3. Bathroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur is sick and almost accidentally drowns.
> 
> CW for almost dying and drowning. It's turns out fine, don't worry.

Wilbur’s body aches, barely helped by the water’s heat. The fatigue clings to his bones and his chest aches from coughing. He barely notices the walls streaked with condensation and the mirror clouded from steam. While setting it, Wilbur had lit the dusty candle that he can’t remember anyone ever using. A vaguely vanilla and flowery smell comes from it. His skin is red from the water’s heat, although he doesn’t feel its burn anymore.

He can’t keep his head above water. Every limb is weighed down from the sickness. Wilbur manages to take a final gasp of air. He’s too weak to push himself up. Vaguely he can hear someone calling out elsewhere in the house. Wilbur can’t scream, only hope that they manage to find him. His lungs burn. He craves oxygen. Wilbur doesn’t even realize that he’s gasping in water. Footsteps are somewhere in the house.  _ Fundy. _ Wilbur can’t do anything. His mind spins in circles, just like his vision does. There’s a strange sense of calmness. He sees visions of Sally and his brothers. Phil appears as well. He can barely hear someone urgently knocking on the door. Didn’t he invite Schlatt? Wilbur’s eyes fall shut.

* * *

Schlatt enters the house with his key. It still surprises him that Wilbur let him in after everything. Especially explicitly inviting in Schlatt while sick. They’re not teenagers anymore. He shuts the door and someone jumps on him. Schlatt laughs and sets Fundy down. “Where’s your dad?”

Fundy shrugs. “He’s in the bath.”

Schlatt nods. “I’ll be right back, champ.”

He climbs the stairs and the house is oddly quiet. There’s not even the slight splashing of water. For some reason, Schlatt is concerned. Still he pushes the feelings aside. They don’t mean anything. He walks the familiar hallway and stops in front of the bathroom.Schlatt knocks on the door and calls Wilbur’s name. There’s no response. He tries several more times but there’s still nothing. Schlatt opens the door, surprised that it’s unlocked. 

Clothes are scattered across the floor. There’s an immediate wave of heat and humidity. Schlatt scans the room and sucks in a breath. Wilbur lays in the tub, eyes shut and completely submerged. He pulls Wilbur from the tubs, fumbling far more than he would like. Schlatt does his best to repeat the CPR lessons he can barely remember. Fundy wanders in behind him and freezes.

“I-I’ll get Phil,” He stammers before running off.

Schlatt doesn’t bother to respond. All he does is repeat the chest compressions. He can’t let Wilbur die. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He needs Wilbur to survive. It takes what feels like hours for him to hear the door open downstairs. People run up the stairs and suddenly he’s pulled back from Wilbur’s still form.

He watches as Phil pulls some magic bullshit that he could never be bothered to learn. Schlatt had tried when younger but gave up quickly upon realizing he couldn’t. He flinches as the glow retreats and Wilbur jerks to life, coughing up water. Fundy rushes forward and wraps Wilbur in a hug. Phil rubs the back of his son. Schlatt should leave. He isn’t a part of this family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost wrote a fluffy story about dying hair for this room. Too bad all I know is angst. If anyone wants, I can do that one too.
> 
> I listened to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUoX5EAxF34)


	4. Nursery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur's up in the middle of the night not long after Sally left.

Wilbur pushes open the door and walks into the nursery. The glowing stars stuck to the ceiling don’t provide any real source of light as the door shuts. Wilbur walks over and turns the lamp onto the lowest setting with a small  _ click _ . Fish spin serenely above Fundy in the sky. The walls have very few photos. Wilbur still needs to take down all of the ones with Sally. She’s not coming back anytime soon. Hell, he might just take down them all. 

He sighs and turns away. Fundy lays in the crib, completely oblivious to the world. Wilbur doesn’t know how to be a father. He can’t call Phil for advice either. Wilbur stopped talking to him months ago and he’s far too stubborn to reach out again. He could just send a letter, it would be so easy. He won’t though.  His thoughts are put to a stop of Fundy shifts still asleep. Wilbur walks closer and gently lifts Fundy from the crib. The night continues as Wilbur hums a barely remembered lullaby from childhood. He can at least try to be a decent parent. It’s more than Sally did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Motivation comes and goes. I work with the flow.


	5. Flower Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eret stands outside of Niki's garden, crown missing and seemingly shy. She can spare some time.

Sunlight glances off the leaves bright with dew and dragonflies hover over the small pond. Birds chirp and Niki can hear small creatures scamper through the surrounding forest. There’s a small patch of clovers surrounding the fence post. Clemantises and ivy climb terraces, although so do other plants. Flowers are separated into patches and Niki has cultivated them since her first week on the server. She lifts her head at the sound of approaching footsteps. To her knowledge, nobody knew of this place. So why does Eret emerge from the trees with the sun blocked by sunglasses? Niki pushes herself up from her patch of red lavender and stares at them. 

“What are you doing here?” She asks.

Eret shifts. “I needed somewhere to go.”   
  
Niki notices that their crown and cape are gone, instead they’re dressed in normal clothing. Niki decides not to comment, instead unlatching the fence gate and pushing it open. Eret takes a handful of steps backward before entering. Niki lingers her gaze of their form. She’s never seen Eret outside of king’s attire. She wasn’t on the server before the first war. She wasn’t there for Eret’s betrayal, for them taking the throne. Now, they give Niki a shy smile, and even with revolution in a matter of hours, she has hope for the future. She guides Eret to a patch of snowdrops and decides that she can teach them how to garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my story and I get to choose which pronouns I write Eret with /hj


	6. Graveyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a cemetery filled with twenty six graves hidden in the forest.
> 
> CW for major character death, everyone except Techno and Dream are dead even if not mentioned by name.

Wrought iron fences surround a patch of grassy land. The sign written in the gates reads  _ Founders Cemetery, _ although the definition has certainly been stretched. The cemetery is overgrown with ivy and weeds, no one bothering to keep it well kept. The air is crisp with winter and the lettering has to be carved again every few years before it completely erodes

There are far too many graves for most to keep track of. However, if you took the time to count it would be twenty six. Some of their stories are told, others are treated as a side character to the others. Some of their names are never even mentioned, left to rot with time. Not many people come to the cemetery anymore, it’s location now surrounded by an artificial forest. Only two living people know the stories, only two living people lived through the wars, only two living people visit. 

One brings nothing but himself and stories. It doesn’t matter, his friends wouldn’t be mad. If anything they would be upset at being left behind. He’s changed his name countless times, even before he settled here with his friends all that time ago. He takes off his mask and stretches over the grass talking to the air. No matter what, he’ll be seen as the villain in what the people tell as myths. No one can fault him for refusing to let go.

The other visits the graves of those who became his family, although he firmly denied it during their life. He stops at the grave imprinted with a feather and sits. Not many of their stories speak of Phil beyond the fact that he was a survivor and a father, the one to take Wilbur’s final life. None of them mentions the kindness to his friends or his fierce wild streak. Some idolize him as the person to slay the madman, unaware of the toll it took. Others see him as the one to cement L’manburg’s doom, the monstrous Angel of Death. They don’t know his kind smile, they don’t know how he would slip away from all the chains.

No one else knows the cemetery exists anymore, many of the names forgotten to time. Their stories are seen as myths and nothing more. So much of their personality has been ripped to shreds, and so much of their stories are ignored. The two that live gave up on correcting them a long time ago. They can’t stop the corruption that time has on those who were their friends.

**Author's Note:**

> [Main Tumblr](https://maybewren.tumblr.com/)


End file.
